USA captain Monank Patel and vice-captain Aaron Jones each scored half-centuries in USA's win over Scotland to end their tour of Aberdeen. 

Photo credit: Peter Della Penna

By Peter Della Penna in Aberdeen (Twitter @PeterDellaPenna)
 
USA completed their fifth highest successful chase in their limited overs history, hauling down a target of 250 with a ball to spare in dramatic circumstances to escape with a two-wicket win over Scotland in the final ODI of the ICC Cricket World Cup League Two ODI tri-series on Wednesday at Mannofield in Aberdeen, Scotland. The win for USA came in spite of a first innings unbeaten 133 by Scotland bater Calum MacLeod, his second century of the series against USA. 
 
USA needed 22 off the last nine balls following the wicket of Nosthush Kenjige caught at deep midwicket off of Gavin Main and Jessy Singh fresh to the crease at the non-striker’s end. Malhotra, who was on 14 off 17 balls, heaved a two to deep midwicket before a slower bouncer on the body was hooked very fine past short fine leg for a boundary. 
 
A single was taken off the final ball of the over to leave USA needing 15 to win off the last six balls against Scotland’s all-time leading ODI wicket-taker, Safyaan Sharif. A short ball on the body was pulled flat over backward square leg for six, but a swing and a miss off the second ball made the equation nine to win off four balls. USA received a heavy dose of good fortune in the ensuing sequence however as a short and wide ball was then slashed by Malhotra fine of short third man for a boundary. 
 
Even more drama, and luck came on the fourth delivery when a faint edge to a length ball bounced short of wicketkeeper Matthew Cross and then went past him on a second bounce and through to the fine leg boundary to level the scores. Another big heave off the fifth ball caromed off Malhotra’s pads and stopped a few feet away as Singh scampered through for a run from the non-striker’s end, beating an underhanded direct hit by Sharif to secure the winning run for USA and deny Scotland what would have been an undefeated week. MacLeod was named Player of the Match in a losing effort for his first innings century.
 
The USA chase was set up earlier by half-centuries from captain Monank Patel and vice-captain Aaron Jones as fortunes swayed on both sides throughout the chase and the match. Steven Taylor was dropped off the very first ball as Mark Watt was late reacting to a return chance, only getting one-hand to it in the end at head height. Taylor eventually made 16 before he ran himself out in the 10^th over, done in by a direct hit from mid-on by Kyle Coetzer, to make it 28 for 1 at the end of the Powerplay. 
 
Monank arrived and scored briskly throughout his knock in spite of a methodical approach from his partners at the opposite end. He gave a very difficult chance on 20 in the 17^th over, slicing Hamza Tahir just off the fingertips of MacLeod at slip that went for two runs. The stand with Sushant Modani was finally broken in the 22^nd over when Modani drove a low catch to Craig Wallace at extra cover off Tahir for 28 off 57 balls to make it 80 for 2. 
 
Jones arrived and scratched his way toward a half-century in a far less fluent knock than Monank, but one that wound up being valuable nonetheless as he ended up top-scoring for USA with 62 off 87 balls. However, his inability to turn over the strike early in his innings disrupted the rhythm of Monank, resulting in another chance for the USA on 33 when a top-edged hook was spilled by sub fielder Chris McBride at deep third man off the bowling of Main in the 25^th. Two balls later, Monank rubbed salt into the wound with a straight driven six into the sight screen. Monank brought up his 50 off 56 balls but fell off his next delivery to start the 31^st, slicing Tahir to Main at backward point to make it 118 for 3. Ian Holland fell in near identical fashion, slicing a catch to Michael Leask at backward point for 12 off Main to make it 149 for 4 in the 37^th, leaving USA needing 100 to win off the last 13.4 overs. 
 
But just when it looked like the match was tilting Scotland’s way, Gajanand Singh swung it back toward the visitors by scoring 33 off 20 balls in a 50-run stand with Jones. Gajanand was especially efficient with the sweep shot, connecting with it against Tahir and Mark Watt for four of his six boundaries. Watt’s initial spell had seen him end with figures of 0 for 8 in five overs, but Gajanand’s late attack left him wicketless for 35 runs off his final five overs. Gajanand finally fell to Leask’s offspin in the 44^th, flicking a leading edge to Coetzer at extra cover. Jones finally fell on the last ball of the 47^th to Leask, pulling a half-tracker to Sharif at deep backward square leg. 
 
Sharif came back at the death in the 48^th and conceded just four runs while taking the wicket of Nisarg Patel slicing a catch to Wallace at short third man for 1 as USA needed 25 off 12 balls with only three wickets in hand. Crucially though, all of Scotland’s main spinners – Watt, Tahir and Leask – had all bowled out their full 10-over quota on a day when spin was much harder to get away, especially at the death. Kenjige then got out three balls later to Main, but Malhotra was able to finish the job against Main and Sharif. 
 
The winning chase justified Monank’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss. USA had Scotland struggling before long at 31 for 4 in the 11^th over and it could have been worse for Scotland had MacLeod been not been reprieved by a no ball called on Saurabh Netravalkar on a delivery that MacLeod chopped onto his stumps while still on just 6. It would have been the third wicket in the left-armer’s new ball spell after he had Wallace flicking to Taylor at short fine leg for 6 and Coetzer edging behind for 9. 
 
Holland came on in the 11^th and struck twice in his first three balls. Michael Jones was bowled for 5 on a delivery that jagged back off the seam and produced an inside edge off the pad and onto the stumps. Cross was then trapped for a second-ball lbw on a delivery that hit him high on the back leg but was deemed to be not going over the stumps by umpire David McLean. Holland then won another lbw appeal in the 19^th over against Chris Greaves, who prodded down the wrong line and was struck below the knee roll to fall for 14, making it 73 for 5. 
 
However, with Holland in a good rhythm and looking dangerous on almost every ball, he was taken off after five overs to hold some overs back for the death. It allowed Leask to settle in as he then teamed with MacLeod for the best partnership by either side on the day, adding 92 for the sixth wicket. MacLeod brought up his half-century off 76 balls along the way and Leask seemed certain to reach one as well before the intervention of Taylor’s offspin. Taylor had been threatening for several overs with variable bounce on his speedy offbreaks before one held up in the pitch to produce a return catch to nab Leask for 41 off 50 balls. Watt fell four overs later to Taylor, edging to Holland at slip for 3 and Taylor continued to cause problems while bowling 10 straight overs to end with 2 for 51. 
 
MacLeod should have been runout in the 38^th for 80 by Taylor, who made a spectacular diving stop off his own bowling to an attempted punch to mid-on by Watt, but then rushed a wild throw to Monank that wound up well wide of the keeper when MacLeod was stranded halfway down the wicket. MacLeod made the most of his second slice of good fortune on the day, bringing up his century with a two in the 46^th. With Taylor’s spell ending in the 48^th, Monank opted for the pace of Jessy Singh over either of the two spin options still available – Nisarg and Kenjige – and MacLeod wound up whacking Jessy for 17 runs off the final over including two fours and a six to finish on 133 off 144 balls. But it still wasn’t enough for Scotland in the end. 
 
Holland was USA’s best bowler on the day, ending with 3 for 28 in 10 overs. Netravalkar ended with 2 for 54 in his 10. Kenjige (0 for 31 in seven), Nisarg (0 for 39 in seven) and Jessy (0 for 39 in six) all ended wicketless on the day. 
 
USA’s next ODI action will be touring Papua New Guinea in September for four ODIs against the hosts and Namibia.